Cigarette case



April 30, 1946. w. B. CRANE CIGARETTE CASE Filed May 24, 1944 INVENTOR 4 7'7'0R/VEK W 11. ram .5. C 04 NE,

Patented Apr. 30, 1946 CIGARETTE CASE Walton B. Crane, Beverly Hills, Calif., asslgnor to Allied Plastics Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a copartnership composed of Dwight C. Hirsh and Harry G. Long Application May 24, 1944, Serial No. 537,042

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to cigarette cases and the like, and more particularly to cigarette cases of the class designed to receive a pack of cigarettes in its original container.

An object of the invention is the provision of a cigarette case of the class mentioned which is adapted for construction by plastic molding methods, and further objects include the provision of a cigarette case which is light in weight, simple and convenient to open and close, and inexpensive to manufacture.

In accordance with the invention, speaking generally, I provide two molded plastic members, one an inner container of generally rectangular shape, open at one end to receive a pack of cigarettes, and the other a closure or shell member, also of generally rectangular shape, pivoted to and adapted to receive the first mentioned memher. This second or shell member comprises a frame of four walls and a back, and there is an aperture in said back which exposes a portion of the opposed side wall of the inner container, such that the inner container may readily be separated or moved outwardly from the shell member by pressing on the exposed portion of said opposed side wall. A feature of the invention is the provision by which the two members of the case may be opened to a position at right angles to one another, so that the closure or shell member may be rested flat on a table or other support, with the cigarette containing member standing in an upright position. The device is thus not only adapted to be carried in the pocket, or handbag, but also to serve, when desired, as an open-topped, table-supported cigarette container.

The invention will be best understood by referring now to the following detailed description of one present illustrative embodiment thereof, reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the case in closed position looking at the front side thereof;

Fig. 2 is a view of the case in open position, and also inthe position used when the article is to serve as a table-supported cigarette case;

Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at the rearward side of the case; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, but with the inside member shown in elevation. This figure also shows in dotted lines the inside member open sufliciently far that the cigarettes contained therein are accessible.

In the drawing, numeral l designates generally the inside pack receiving member or container, which is generally rectangular in shape, and open at one end, as clearly appears in Fig. 2. Thus the member ID has sides ll, back and front walls l2 and [3, respectively, and a bottom wall M. The upper edge of back wall 12 is somewhat lower than the upper edge of front wall l3 and the sides ll accordingly have downwardly sloping upper edges Ha which are preferably slightly convex, and somewhat rounded over, as illustrated. As appears in Fig. 2, the rearward wall [3 is dimensioned to be just slightly higher than the height of the cigarette pack l5 received within the container, while the front wall I2 is somewhat below the upper end of the pack. This arrangement facilitates removal of cigarettes from the container, particularly when full and tightly packed, as they are when a fresh pack has just been inserted.

Front wall i2 has a portion 16 which is raised or offset outwardly by a distance equal substantially to the wall thickness of the container, and in the present preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention, this ofiset portion is in the form of a vertical central panel, extending the full length of the wall l2.

The other member of the case consists of a substantially rectangular shell 20 adapted to receive with a comparatively snug fit the inner container ill, and including upper and lower end walls 2i and 22, respectively, side walls 23, and a back wall 24. The wall 24 is formed with an aperture 25 designed to snugly receive the raised or offset portion it of the inner container Hi, the thick-- ness of wall 24 being substantially equal to the offset distance of portion IS. The exterior surface of the portion l6 and the exterior surface of the wall 24 are substantially flush or coplanar when the members Ill and 2!! are in closed position. (See full line position of Fig. 4.) As ap pears in the drawing, the front wall l3 of the inner container I0 is of such vertical height that it will be closely received inside the outer shell 29, the parts preferably going together with a light frictional contact, so that there will not be a tendency for the two parts I0 and 29 to fall apart. The two parts ill and 20 are further discouraged from accidentally falling apart by the operating characteristics of a novel hinge connection therebetween, as now to be described.

A pair of short, outwardly projecting hinge pins or trunnions 30 are formed on the lower rearward corners of the sides i l of the inner container member ID, and these are received in and adapted to move along slots 3| formed in the side walls 23 of the shell 2|], said slots extending along shell back wall 24, i. e., immediately adjacent and parallel to said back wall, and from bottom wall 22 a distance upwardly equal at least to the thickness of inner container Ill. These slots are of such width that the pins 30 may ride along the inner defining edges 34 thereof with a light frictional contact.

Fig. 4 shows, in full lines, the inner container in closed position. To open the case, a pressure is exerted on the exposed panel l6 and the inner container forced outwardly, as to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 4. In the course of such movement, the hinge pins 30 move upwardly in the slots 3|, being guided by and sliding along the inner defining edges 34 of the slots, and the lower corner of the inside container slides inwardly on the inside surface of the shell bottom 22. If the slots 3| were arcuate, about centers located at the lower front corner of the case, this sliding contact obviously would not be obtained,

and the two parts of the case would fall apart with undesirable freedom. Thus the disposition of the slots 3|, and the light frictional contacts mentioned, provide a small degree of resistance to opening of the case-just enough to avoid a tendency to accidental opening, but not enough that any undesirable resistance to opening by the user is experienced.

Fig. 2 shows the case opened to the full extent, with shell 2| resting on its back, and inner container In upright. In this position the device serves as a table supported cigarette holder.

I have now shown and described a present preferred embodiment of my invention. It will be understood, however, that this i for illustrative purposes only, and that various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A two-member container comprising a generally rectilinear inner member including front, back, side and bottom walls, a generally rectilinear outer member arranged to snugly receive said inner member and comprising back, side, top and bottom walls, said back wall of said inner memberhaving an outwardly ofi'set portion and said back wall of said outer member having an aperture adapted to receive said outwardly offset portion, trunnions projecting outwardly from the lower rearward corner portions of the side walls of said inner member and trunnion-receiving slots in the side walls of said outer member, parallel and adjacent to the back wall thereof and extending upwardly from the bottom wall of said outer member no more than about a distance equal to the thickness of said inner member whereby pressure applied to said ofiset portion of said inner member when the latter is at a position within said outer member will serve to move said inner member to a position at right angle to the back of said outer member.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the outwardly offset portion of the inner member is approximately the thickness of the back wall of the outer member.

WALTON B. CRANE. 

